Chef of Section, Institutions and Ecosystems (IE), DECI/IE, Geneva, Switzerland

## Chef of Section, Institutions and Ecosystems (IE), DECI/IE, Geneva, Switzerland - Organization:ITC - International Trade Centre UNCTAD-WTO Organizational Setting and Reporting The International Trade Centre (ITC) mandate is: "Transforming trade. Changing lives." By enabling trade-led economic development, especially in the Global South, ITC enables small businesses to reach their potential and strengthens ecosystems for long-term impact. Within the International Trade Centre, the Institutions and Ecosystems Section (IE) of the Division of Enterprise Competitiveness and Institutions (DECI) provides solutions to Business Support Organizations (BSOs) in developing countries and economies in transition. BSOs include trade promotion organizations, investment promotion agencies, chambers, sector associations, women’s associations, co-operatives, business councils and regional apex bodies, quality associations, technical and vocational education training bodies (TVETS) etc. The focus is on improving managerial and operational capacity, to ensure that these organizations and the ecosystem of business support provide highly effective services to people and businesses seeking to benefit from international trade and global value chains. Business support ecosystems are a core service area for ITC and considered to be strategically critical to sustained and system wide impact. High performing BSOs act as multipliers for ITC projects. As delivery partners as well as beneficiaries they improve reach, scale and sustainability of projects, and transfer knowledge and capacity to local actors for lasting impact. Under the direct supervision of the Director, DECI and the overall guidance of the Deputy Executive Director, the Chief will be responsible for the following duties: Managerial duties and responsibilities - Lead and mentor the DECI/IE team to define the role, organization and functions of business support organizations in the public and private sectors with a special emphasis on capacity building and cost-effective services. - Oversee programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the section, including preparation of budgets, assigning and monitoring performance parameters and critical indicators, reporting on budget/programme performance, preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting, evaluation of staff performance. - Forge and develop strategic alliances and foster the development of mutually beneficial network relationships with private and public sector partners including donors, technical agencies, private sector foundations, multinationals and non-governmental organizations. - Foster teamwork and communication among staff in the section and across organizational boundaries to ensure resources are harnessed to meet BSO needs. - Advocate and promote ITC’s portfolio of BSO strengthening services ensuring relevancy to key stakeholders. Technical duties and responsibilities - Represent ITC at inter-agency meetings, seminars, etc. on substantive-related issues. - Participate in international, regional or national meetings and provide programmatic/substantive expertise on an issue or hold programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other institutions. - Build and provide technical expertise to national, regional and international networks of intermediary, distributor and multiplier BSOs through the provision of capacity building and advisory programmes. - Oversee the design, development and delivery of new products and services, in support of the above, including needs and performance assessment tools, training programmes, and BSO and ecosystem creation/restructuring services. - Develop ITC's profile as a centre of excellence in BSO capacity building by contributing to the identification, documentation, dissemination and implementation of "best practice". Including supervising work in the area of benchmarking, research, information collection, drafting of publications, organizing conferences and direct interaction with business support network partners. - Diversify the range of BSOs supported by ITC, including specialist BSOs offering skills development (TVETS) or economic pathways the vulnerable or underserved (e.g. women, youth, those with disabilities, displaced people, indigenous people etc) - Establish ITC as a pre-eminent authority on systems designed to measure the impact on enterprises of the policies and activities of BSOs. - Perform other duties as required. - Professionalism: Knowledge of the business environment shaping the development of exporting SMEs and the scope for intervention by business support organizations to enable the growth and sustainability of exporting SMEs. Thorough knowledge of organizational strategies, functions, structures, processes, issues and trends. Understanding of BSO managerial and operational practices and specific challenges. Ability to identify BSO needs and translate them into improvement solutions based on ITC’s priorities and competency areas, strategic objectives and comparative advantages. Ability to establish clear objectives, monitoring and evaluation competencies. Knowledge of key issues in organizational capacity building and the interface with trade development programmes, including ongoing developments shaping the international trading system. Ability to analyse and interpret national trade issues, performance and trends, relevant statistical data and other information to draw objective conclusions and make practical recommendations. Awareness of bilateral, regional, multilateral and intergovernmental organizations concerned with trade and development and their modes of operation. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter. Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results. Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges. Remains calm in stressful situations. - Accountability: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable. - Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client. - Leadership: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow. Empowers others to translate vision into results. Is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support. Anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements. Does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing. - Vision: Identifies strategic issues, opportunities and risks; clearly communicates links between the Organization’s strategy and the work unit’s goals; generates and communicates broad and compell